Joe Pirlo Allen (Liverpool -> Stoke)

Liverpool Football Club are delighted to announce that midfielder Joe Allen has today completed his transfer from Swansea City.

The Wales international signed a long-term contract after passing a medical at Melwood.

After finalising the deal, Allen told Liverpoolfc.com: "I feel incredible. Everyone knows the history of this club, it's a massive club, and I'm delighted to have joined.

"The passion that people here have for football is something I share and I want to be part of that.

"I'm looking forward to being part of some great years ahead for Liverpool Football Club."

The 22-year-old becomes our second summer signing following the arrival of Fabio Borini.

Brendan Rodgers said: "I'm absolutely delighted that Joe has made the decision to come with us on this journey.

"Joe is a player whose profile will fit perfectly with the ideas of this group. His ability to control and dominate the ball is an important ingredient in our attempt to gain success on the field.

"Joe has had a fantastic education at Swansea City and will now begin the next chapter in his exciting career, and I wish him all the very best in what I'm sure will be a long and distinguished career here at Liverpool."

Re: Joe Allen Player Thread

Liverpool Football Club are delighted to announce that midfielder Joe Allen has today completed his transfer from Swansea City.

The Wales international signed a long-term contract after passing a medical at Melwood.

After finalising the deal, Allen told Liverpoolfc.com: "I feel incredible. Everyone knows the history of this club, it's a massive club, and I'm delighted to have joined.

"The passion that people here have for football is something I share and I want to be part of that.

"I'm looking forward to being part of some great years ahead for Liverpool Football Club."

The 22-year-old becomes our second summer signing following the arrival of Fabio Borini.

Brendan Rodgers said: "I'm absolutely delighted that Joe has made the decision to come with us on this journey.

"Joe is a player whose profile will fit perfectly with the ideas of this group. His ability to control and dominate the ball is an important ingredient in our attempt to gain success on the field.

"Joe has had a fantastic education at Swansea City and will now begin the next chapter in his exciting career, and I wish him all the very best in what I'm sure will be a long and distinguished career here at Liverpool."

Re: Joe Allen Player Thread

Joe Allen became Brendan Rodgers' second signing as Liverpool manager today – but how much do you know about the Wales international? Here are 10 interesting facts...

1. Born in the Welsh town of Carmarthen, Allen spent his childhood growing up on the coast in Fishguard, Pembrokeshire. Joe is among the one in five Welsh citizens who speak the native language, known as Cymraeg, and can be included in the 10 per cent who are able to converse fluently in the traditional dialect.

2. Allen was just nine years old when he joined Swansea and made his debut as a 17-year-old on the final day of the 2006-07 season. Working under Roberto Martinez and then Paulo Sousa, the midfielder's progression was rapid and he was ready to become a central figure when Brendan Rodgers arrived at the club in 2010. In total, Joe made 138 appearances in a Swansea jersey, bagging seven goals.

3. Allen can boast an impressive set of statistics from the last Barclays Premier League season. The midfielder completed 91 per cent of his passes for Swansea, a higher rate than Barcelona and Spain star Andres Iniesta, and created a chance for a teammate once every 63 minutes, providing four assists. Joe also made 110 tackles, the third-highest in the division.

4. At just 5ft 6in tall, the same height as his new Reds teammate Jay Spearing, Allen was the joint-fourth smallest player to appear in the Barclays Premier League in 2011-12. Only Shaun Wright-Phillips, Aaron Lennon and former Swansea colleague Nathan Dyer were more diminutive than the new Liverpool man.

5. Four years of hard work and learning through Wales youth teams, including U17, U19 and U21 levels, paid off when Joe was handed a maiden cap for his country by former Reds striker John Toshack, against Estonia, in 2009. He has collected a further seven since that debut, the most recent in a friendly with Mexico earlier this year.

6. Despite being incorrectly listed as English in the original match programme, Allen was one of five Welsh players to be selected by Stuart Pearce for the Great Britain team at the London Olympics.

7. Only England and Scotland have provided more players for the Reds than Wales, and Allen is the 29th Welshman to sign for Liverpool, following in the footsteps of previous Anfield greats such as Ian Rush and Toshack. While a quarter of his predecessors were called Jones, the 22-year-old is the first Allen to wear a red shirt.

8. The deal to bring Allen to Anfield was the 10th transfer agreed between Liverpool and Swansea but all of the previous nine had seen players heading to the Welsh club. Allen is therefore the first player to swap the Swans for the Reds, 16 years after the last agreement between the two clubs - which involved Jan Molby leaving on a free transfer.

9. Brendan Rodgers worked with Allen for two years during his time in charge of Swansea, with the young midfielder a key figure in the club's promotion from the Championship and subsequent success in the top flight. Rodgers said in December 2011: "There's no doubt looking into the future that certainly he is going to be a big talent. He is a really clever and intelligent lad who understands where he is in his career and at 21 years of age, he has maybe 14 years ahead of him at a real high level."

10. Joe played the full 90 minutes in both of Swansea's Barclays Premier League fixtures against Liverpool last season - a 0-0 draw at Anfield and a 1-0 victory at the Liberty Stadium. Indeed he was almost an ever-present in the top flight last season, scoring four goals in 36 league appearances during 2011-12.

Re: Joe Allen Player Thread

Re: Joe Allen Player Thread

Welcome to the greatest club in history joe. Going to be patient with you as I know that once you find your feet you'll be a quality player for us for many seasons. Just hope the fickle fans don't use your transfer figure against u as you settle into a new club.

Re: Joe Allen Player Thread

"3. Allen can boast an impressive set of statistics from the last Barclays Premier League season. The midfielder completed 91 per cent of his passes for Swansea, a higher rate than Barcelona and Spain star Andres Iniesta, and created a chance for a teammate once every 63 minutes, providing four assists. Joe also made 110 tackles, the third-highest in the division."

For his age those statistics are incredible, continue that form Joe and I'll be very happy.

Re: Joe Allen Player Thread

"3. Allen can boast an impressive set of statistics from the last Barclays Premier League season. The midfielder completed 91 per cent of his passes for Swansea, a higher rate than Barcelona and Spain star Andres Iniesta, and created a chance for a teammate once every 63 minutes, providing four assists. Joe also made 110 tackles, the third-highest in the division."

For his age those statistics are incredible, continue that form Joe and I'll be very happy.

Re: Joe Allen Player Thread

Joe Allen today spoke of his confidence that Brendan Rodgers can return Liverpool to the top of English football after completing his transfer from Swansea City.

The 22-year-old has been reunited with his former boss after undergoing a medical at Melwood and signing a long-term contract to become our second summer signing following the arrival of Fabio Borini.

Allen granted his first interview to Liverpoolfc.com and explained how his belief in Rodgers was key to the move being finalised.

"Look at the players and staff, and obviously the supporters, and everything is there for us to be successful," said the Wales international.

"I'm looking forward to being part of some great years ahead for Liverpool Football Club.

"I have a lot of faith that Brendan Rodgers can bring success, that's one of the reasons I'm here. I wanted to be part of this project, his project, and I've really got a good feeling - as I'm sure all the players here have - that this football club is going to go from strength to strength in the next couple of seasons.

"Brendan is so passionate about his football. He works day in, day out to improve the team and everyone individually. Everyone wants to work alongside someone who has that way about them.

"One of his best things is his man management, it's second to none. He commands the respect of everyone and it's no different for me.

"To join back up with him was definitely a big pull for me."

Signing for Liverpool completes a remarkable journey through the ranks of English football for Allen.

He made his league debut for Swansea in a 6-3 League One defeat to Blackpool as a 17-year-old in 2007.

Over the coming seasons the midfielder would help the Swans reach the Barclays Premier League and this summer he represented Team GB in the Olympic Games.

Asked if he would have believed five years ago that this day would come, Allen replied: "No, probably not.

"It was hard to believe at first and very flattering to be linked to a top club like this. It shows you're doing something right, I guess.

"I've always been ambitious and wanting to get to the top but getting there is a completely different thing. It's definitely hard to believe. It's been a quick rise for me."

Though a progression from Football League player to Premier League star is not as common as it once was, Allen believes all those trips to stadiums like Bloomfield Road gave him an ideal grounding.

"I think if you look at the amount of games I've played for someone my age, that would probably only happen at a team that's come through the leagues," he said.

"That experience has been vital for me. I blossomed and improved because of that and I wouldn't change it for the world."

Swansea's rise to the top flight means Allen has already played in front of a capacity Anfield crowd when Rodgers led the south Wales club to a goalless draw last term.

The day left quite an impression on our new boy.

"The whole atmosphere at this ground is very rare," he said. "The passion that people here have for football is something I share and I want to be part of that. It's another part of the pull to this great club.

"As a Swansea player, that was one of the days you really remembered from last season. To get the chance to be here and have that as my home ground is a special feeling.

"I can't wait to experience the famous Liverpool support.

"I can't really imagine how I'll feel playing at Anfield right now. I'm excited about that prospect and witnessing the Anfield atmosphere and spirit, and being part of the home team, I'm sure it will be incredible."

Swansea's midfield was lauded by neutrals last term as Rodgers' brand of possession-based football secured a debut season finish of 11th despite a limited budget.

Now Allen will find himself on the same teamsheet as midfielders such as Lucas Leiva and Steven Gerrard.

"These are the kind of players I've grown up watching and trying to emulate. To get the chance to be playing alongside them is a fantastic feeling and it's only going to enhance my game.

"It's an opportunity for me personally. I've always been ambitious and wanted to play at the highest level I possibly could. When you see an opportunity like this it's almost impossible to turn it down.

"I'm someone who wants to be the best I can be. Every day, in training or in matches, I always want to improve. You'll always get 100 per cent out of me and I'm really looking forward to gelling with the top-class players who are here and doing my bit for the club.

"It's a proud day for me and my family. They have supported me through thick and thin for so long that this is as much a reward for them as it is for me.

Re: Joe Allen Player Thread

"I'm someone who wants to be the best I can be. Every day, in training or in matches, I always want to improve. You'll always get 100 per cent out of me and I'm really looking forward to gelling with the top-class players who are here and doing my bit for the club.

And that is the minimum requirement that will get you a lot of praise and support my mate.